Serious
by dragonprincess1988
Summary: You do realize how insane it is that you're rethinking the entire way you are because of something The Joker said, right?"


"Such an intense little Robin…always so serious. You know, your predecessors were never so grim." Joker laughed as he leveled a gun at Robin's head.

"And you always talk too much." Robin waited for Nightwing to sneak up on The Joker from behind and grab the gun before he quickly knocked The Joker out with a swift hit across the head with his Bo staff. Nightwing made sure The Joker was out completely as Robin tied him up. The two of them made their exit to the roof and watched as the police led the unconscious Joker away.

Nightwing clasped a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Good job taking down The Joker. It was fast, and efficient, and well…just so you, I guess."

"Yeah," Robin waited until everyone had cleared the scene before he turned towards Nightwing and took off his mask as he continued. "Dick, can I ask you something?"

Nightwing took off his mask as well and stared at Tim with mock shock. "Whoa, wait, Robin…Tim Drake wants to ask **me** something?" Dick pointed to himself. "Well, I feel honored now."

Tim glared at him. "Dick, can you not…"

"Sorry." Dick sat down on the roof and patted the space next to him. "So, what's up?"

Tim didn't move from where he was standing, and folded his arms across his chest to keep from clutching at his cape. "Do you think I'm too intense?"

"What?" Dick was genuinely surprised by the question.

Tim took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then let it out as he let his arms fall to his sides. "Do you think I'm too serious?"

Dick leaned back slightly as he let out a small laugh. "Wow, so what Joker said really did get to you, huh? I didn't even think that was possible."

Tim glared at him again. "It didn't get to me."

Dick raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? It didn't?"

"No, it didn't." Tim started to pace the length of the rooftop. "It's just…it makes me reconsider a few things."

Dick moved into a headstand from where he was sitting. "Like what?"

"Well, I've noticed you're constantly trying to get me to lighten up, and well…" Tim trailed off not really sure what to say.

Dick walked on his hands over to Tim. "Well, what?"

Tim sighed as he let his shoulders sag slightly. "I didn't used to be like this. There was once a time when I used to laugh and joke around and it wasn't all horrible all the time. I'm just wondering what happened to that."

Dick flipped back onto his feet and placed a hand on Tim's shoulder. "You lost a lot of people in a short amount of time, Tim."

Dick couldn't help but think of how lost Tim looked when he stared into Dick's eyes. "Yeah, but is that really a good enough reason? Shouldn't it have taken more for me to turn into…" Again, Tim trailed off.

"Bruce?" Dick supplied for him.

Suddenly, Tim's expression was stern as he ground his teeth. "Well, I wasn't going to say it, but yeah."

"Sorry." Dick at least had the good sense to look apologetic as he shrugged. "But I guess stuff happens."

Tim's gaze fell to the ground. "Yeah, I guess."

"You know," Dick shook his arm gently to get Tim to look at him. "That doesn't mean you can't change if you want to."

Tim ruefully shook his head. "People don't change, Dick."

Dick folded his arms over his chest and stared down at Tim sternly. "If you really believed that you wouldn't do what we do."

Tim shook his head again. "No, I do what we do _because_ I believe that."

Dick smirked as he laughed lightly. "You would, too."

Tim was suddenly confused by Dick's reaction. "What?"

Dick chuckled lightly as he shook his head. "Nothing, it's just…you do realize how insane it is that you're rethinking the entire way you are because of something The Joker said, right?"

Tim glared at him. "That's not what's happening here."

Dick raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, it's not?"

Tim's glare intensified for a moment. "No, if it was just Joker who said it I'd call it the insane ramblings of a lunatic; but that's the fifth time I've heard that today." Tim threw his hands up in the air out of frustration and continued pacing.

Dick shrugged. "So, you're a little abrasive when it comes to dealing with people. What's the big deal?"

Tim stopped and turned to face him. "I don't know. I guess I just miss…"

"Miss what?" Dick inclined his head slightly.

"I don't know." Tim's gaze fell to the ground once more. "I was going to say the old me, but I don't really miss the old me. This me works. It's effective, and efficient, and useful."

Dick was trying to follow where Tim was going with that statement, but he couldn't remember a time when Tim ever seemed so lost. "And the old you wasn't?"

Tim shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying."

Dick sighed out of frustration. "Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Tim trailed off for a moment. "I'm saying I need more sleep."

Dick smirked. "Well, I won't deny that. You haven't exactly gotten a lot of sleep in the last week. Not with The Joker running around and all of that, but I don't think that's what this conversation is about."

Tim started rubbing his temples. "Do me a favor? Just smack my head off the roof until I regain my senses."

Dick raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow, night." Tim turned to leave.

Dick placed a hand on Tim's shoulder to stop him. "Tim?"

Tim spun around to face him. "Yeah?"

"Lighten up." Dick laughed as he shot off a line and was gone before Tim could say anything.

Tim shrugged and mumbled jerk under his breath as he shot off his own line.

The End


End file.
